Jaws
would drop. Fans would stand shocked as Roger Goodell announced, “at 28th pick
the Carolina Panthers draft Allen Robinson, wide receiver from Penn State
University.” What? With a name like Benjamin, Cooks, Landry, Beckham,
Jr., or Matthews still on the board and Gettleman’s love of the “hogmolly,” how
could the accomplished, but rather unacclaimed pick from Penn jump into the
1st? McShay and Kiper will talk of Robinson’s talent and upside, how they like
what they saw from him, but they will also drone endlessly that Robinson could
been grabbed mid to late 2nd Rd.

Ludicrous,
right? I mean the team’s 1st Rd. pick on a guy who would be the #3 option
for the season. Shouldn’t the Panthers look for a more immediate impact
player? It just wouldn’t make sense—at first glance that is. Fans may be
stunned if Robinson was picked at #28, but they wouldn’t be disappointed.

There’s a
lot overlooked about Robinson that has prevented him from infiltrating top
wide receiver draft boards. Robinson has the characteristics of a star NFL
wideout: big, good hands, a good route runner, smart, hardworking, and can jump
out the gym. Not to mention, he doesn’t appear to have any diva, so often
associated with wideouts. What is most overlooked about this potential
star is his road to the draft. His football past, or lack thereof, has
contributed to draft prognosticators’ skepticism. Robinson could just
leap into the 1st Rd, become the #1 receiving option in Carolina
after Smith retires and, in the end, be one the best overall talents of 2014
NFL draft.

If he is
so good and has so much potential, why isn’t everyone talking him up? I
mean his draft stock should be trending up by now. Outside of
Pennsylvania, people just haven’t seen enough of him yet to draw national
fanfare.

Robinson’s Road

Robinson wasn't one of those high school kids that had the big press conference on college signing day. His high school career didn’t garnered that much
attention from big college programs. He had played more basketball than
football, missing a full football season from growing pains. Yea, growing
pains! Robinson grew 6” inches just before his sophomore year gained more than
35lbs before he left St. Mary’s prep.

The three
star recruit who wasn’t seen as a starter, let alone a star, recorded only 3
catches for 29 yards his freshman year. Still skinny for his height, Robinson
continued to grow both physically and as a player when Bill O'Brien took over
the troubled program. Robinson exploded during his sophomore and junior
season in O'Brien’s pro-style offense, “winning back to back Big 10 receiver of
the year awards.” Robinson opted to enter the NFL draft, a year too
early according to some, after O'Brien’s departure.

Reasons Robinson Will Succeed

Work Ethic and Football Intelligence:

Robinson
wasn’t ordained a star from the beginning. He had to work hard to prove
his worth to the Nittany Lions after a 3 rec/25 yds freshman year.
Instead of becoming downtrodden, Robinson used this as motivation in the
offseason, pushing himself mentally and physically. Commenting on his
determination and improvement, Bill O’Brien stated:

Robinson
has a lot of skill, talent, and physical ability. Nevertheless, it’s his
maturity and level-headedness that really makes him a special player. He
has a collected demeanor that seems unshakable and isn’t above putting his head
down and working hard to get better. These characteristics usually
differentiate talented prospects from top NFL talents. Former coach
O’Brien, now Houston Texan head coach, praised,

Skill Set and Potential

The hard work paid off in Robinson’s sophomore season,
when he became the best wide receiver season in Penn St. history. After
surpassing names like Bobby Ingram with 77 catches in his sophomore campaign,
he shattered his own record by catching 97 balls from a freshman during his
junior season. He has great size (6’3, 208), with room to get bigger. He’s a
surprisingly good route runner for what was a very short college career.
Oh and did I mention the boy can has great hands and can jump out the
gym? I mean look at this catch against Michigan.

Final Assessment

It will
come down to Robinson’s 40 yard time at the combine. Everyone wants to
know, does this kid have NFL speed? There are varying reports on his 40
time. One Penn St. resource unofficially clocked at 4.43 and CBS
has him listed much slower at 4.56. GMs
will be looking at this measurement during the combine. He will only get
stronger, more refined, and he has the ups, but is he fast? Can he be a
threat downfield? Few are expecting Robinson to a 4.36, but if he clocks a
4.46, he should be a 1st Rd draft pick! I would be ecstatic if it were the
Panthers who landed him. Robinson has the ability to contribute now, that’s not
what excites me most about him. Robinson has the potential to be great.
He’s got it physically and mentally. I’d love to see it happen in
Carolina!

Carolina Cat Chronicles

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